


Nemesis

by J_J_Janson



Series: Amidst the Tempest [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Soen no Kiseki/Akatsuki no Megami | Fire Emblem Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn
Genre: Action, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, Fight Scene, Gen, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 08:57:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12837741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J_J_Janson/pseuds/J_J_Janson
Summary: As Mia stares down Ike in the center of the Tempest, she realizes she may have found the nemesis she's always dreamed of.





	Nemesis

**Author's Note:**

> General warning for violence. Nothing too graphic though.

Mia stared down the slowly solidifying mass of shadows that stood at the center of the Tempest. “Commander Greil? No, Commander Ike?” The shadows congealed, and before Mia stood a replica of Ike, dressed in his late father's uniform. 

Around Mia, everyone else had their own fights. Sharena and Anna stood between Lute and a trio of armored warriors. Dorcas, Alfonse, and Joshua were fending off a squad of wyvern riders. Lucina, Roy, and Lyn were guarding the entryway to this center area of the Tempest. And that left Mia with Commander Ike. 

She shrugged her shoulders. “Well, you're not Commander Greil, and not even the real Ike who uses his axe that I met. But I guess we can have another sparring match.” 

The fake Ike, now fully formed, gave a bitter laugh. “I'll never be my father. But the Greil mercenaries need him. So I'll step into this role.”

Mia squinted at the fake Ike. That masked guy, Marth, had said the Tempest would create a fake at the center, one born from possibility. Or something like that. Mia couldn't help thinking back to her time with Ike, all of their sparring matches, trying to find that insecurity. 

Mia was Ike’s most reliable sparring partner, and she had learned to read his bottled up feelings in their duels. It had taken Ike a long time to grow out of his father's shadow. But he had. 

Mia stretched out her sword arm, cautiously approaching the fake Ike. “I never got to spar with Commander Greil, but I've always liked fighting you, boss. You never treat me gently because I'm a girl. You've never questioned my strength. We've grown as swordsmen together. Let's see how you measure up to the real thing.” Mia lifted her sword, pointing it at Ike’s chest. 

A challenge. 

Ike hefted Urvan. Then he charged. 

Mia charged towards him. When Ike swung his axe, Mia slid down on her knees, dodging under the axe. 

She was on her feet in a heartbeat, and was already halfway to a slash across Ike’s back when she realized Ike was still turning into his slash. 

Mia put her sword up and jumped back, but a glancing blow from Urvan sent her falling back and her blade tumbling from her hand. 

Mia was used to Ike’s surprising mobility for a man of his size. But she didn't think he could be as flexible with a heavy axe like Urvan as with Ragnell. He had continued his swing, making a full rotation so he could hit Mia when she got behind him. 

As Mia shook her sword hand to get the feeling back, she let out a victorious laugh. “I've done it! I've found my nemesis!” Sure, fake Ike wasn't dressed in white. But this was the kind of life or death fight between two highly skilled warriors that she had always wanted. 

The feeling hadn’t completely come back to Mia’s sword arm, and her sword lay on the ground between her and Ike. But Mia loved long odds. 

With a grin, Mia rushed forward, and did a leap, landing on her hands next to her sword, pushing off with her still-shaky sword hand and grabbing her sword with her off hand. 

She was crashing down towards Ike, putting her whole weight behind her slash. 

Urvan came up and blocked the hit, but Mia let her sword slide down, hissing as it ran along Urvan’s edge. 

The moment Mia’s sword was underneath Urvan, she stood back up, sending a stab upwards towards Ike’s face. 

Her attack was brought to an abrupt halt by Ike, grabbing her sword with his offhand. Blood trickled down, but Mia gasped as a boot suddenly smashed into her ribs. 

She went flying, her sword still in Ike’s bloody grip. 

Ike tossed the sword behind him as Mia scrambled back to her feet.  

Mia pointed accusingly at Ike. “Stop doing that!”

Mia had been disarmed, and now Ike stood between her and her weapon. She’d been disarmed twice in the same fight. Why couldn’t Ike get disarmed once or twice to even things out?

The gears began to turn in Mia’s head. 

Once again, Mia charged at Ike. 

He held his axe in both hands, lifting Urvan above his head, ready to bring it down on Mia.

Once Mia came into range, the axe swung down. 

Mia caught the blade between her palms, and kicked up at Ike’s hands. His injured hand already gave him a shaky grip, so he was left helpless and Mia spun through the air, Urvan clutched in her hands. 

Ike turned and ran for Mia’s sword on the ground a few feet behind him even as Mia hefted the axe and charged. 

Ike was too slow, and Mia lept into the air, slashing downwards with all of her weight behind the axe. 

Ike was split in two in a moment. 

As Ike became a rapidly dissipating cloud of shadow, Mia sighed, Urvan’s blade on the ground, her chin resting on the butt of its handle. “You don’t have to carry Greil’s legacy alone. That’s what the Greil mercenaries are for.” Then, just as Mia began to plot her future as a legendary axe fighter, Urvan too faded into mist. 

Now all Mia had to do was find where Ike had thrown her sword. And maybe challenge that mysterious Marth to a duel.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Mia. She was a blast to write. I just got this scene in my head while farming the Less Than Heroic Tempest Trial, and I had to write it down.


End file.
